Notable events
| Start year | End year | Sector | Information | Impact |
| 1991 | 1993 | Industrial Processes | Industrial nitric and adipic acid plant closures | Decrease in emissions |
| 1998 | 1998 | Industrial Processes | Abatement installed at the adipic acid plant to comply with IPPC regulations | Decrease in emissions |
| 2000 | 2018 | Agriculture - Soils | Decrease in synthetic fertiliser application to soils for crop growth. The EU Nitrates directive/NVZs put restrictions on the use of nitrates | Decrease in emissions |
Nitrous oxide (N2O) contributes to climate change due to its positive radiative forcing effect, and the gas has a relatively high impact, with a global warming potential (GWP) of 265 compared with a figure of 1 for carbon dioxide.
The agriculture sector dominates emissions of N2O: emissions from agricultural soils in 2021 account for 57% of total UK emissions, and other agricultural sources add another 13%. Other important sources in recent years include road transport, other fuel combustion sources and waste processes.
Historically, industrial processes have been a significant source, due to emissions from the manufacture of chemicals – nitric acid and, in particular, adipic acid. In 1998 the sole UK manufacturer of adipic acid commissioned an abatement unit, leading to the significant reduction in the contribution to total emissions from that plant.
That process subsequently closed in 2009. The contribution of road transport to total N2O emissions is small, but there was an increase in N2O emissions in the early 90s from this source. This was due to the introduction of catalytic converters, since N2O was formed as an unwanted by-product in reducing NOX, in particular by the early generation of cars with catalytic converters. Total emission levels have fallen by 57% since 1990.